


next to me

by nygmadaydreams



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Fix-It, Fluff and Humor, Hugs, Kissing, M/M, Murder Husbands, No Smut, One Big Happy Family, Post-Season/Series 5 Episode 05x11
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-05-15 16:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19299049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nygmadaydreams/pseuds/nygmadaydreams
Summary: “Please”, he said, but smiled, “I stay with you for many reasons, Oswald.”“Such as?”“Well...”, his voice trailed off and he scooted closer to the smaller man with a grin. “Take a guess.”“Hmm. You’re a desperate slut, that’s why”, Oswald suggested and grabbed Edward’s jaw gently, making them face one another. Edward’s smile widened.“Not the exact words I would have used, but sure”, he said, ending the conversation with a small kiss on the tip of Oswald’s nose.The AU where Ed and Oswald get a full pardon and get a chance to start a domestic life with their small, dysfunctional family.





	1. and still you, still you want me

**Author's Note:**

> i was in bed at like 2am but then this thought entered my head and i literally jumped out of bed to write the first chapter fjdklsfjdkljf i hope it's not too full of typos! no proofreading, we die like men.

It was rare to see the sun shining in Gotham, but since most of the factories were still out of use and there was no smoke constantly pumping through the factory pipes, the Gothamites woke up to the sun shining through the blinds in their bedrooms more and more frequently. Some people loved it, others missed the gloomy, grey sky of their home city.

Edward Nygma was usually of the latter category; he really didn’t like the sun blinding him as soon as he opened his eyes in the morning, and the original reason he’d moved to Gotham was the rainy weather. This morning was different, though, because instead of being awakened by the bright light, he was instead woken up by someone vigorously shaking his entire body. Edward jolted awake and reached for the gun on his bedside table, but even without his glasses he recognized the blurry figure looming above him.

“Oswald...?” he muttered, rubbing his eyes and pushing the man back a little bit in order to sit up.

“Finally!” Oswald exclaimed, backing off a smidge and throwing his hands in the air. “I’ve been trying to get you awake for ages!” Edward guessed the ‘ages’ was more like five minutes, but he still mumbled a sleepy “sorry” as he looked for his glasses.

“Why are you in such a rush, anyway?” he asked after situating them on his nose.

“Don’t you remember what day it is today?” Oswald asked, tapping the ground with his foot in annoyance. Edward tilted his head and shrugged. Nothing came to his mind at that moment. Oswald let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes – well, one eye. The glass eye didn’t really move around much. “We need to pick up Martin today!”

“Oh...”, Ed uttered and scratched his head. He remembered now. The evacuated children were finally allowed to be returned to Gotham City and it was going to be absolute chaos. It had been about two months since the reunification with mainland had started and _every single day_ Oswald had talked about how he wanted to see Martin again. It had kind of become white noise to Edward after the first couple of weeks.

“Thank you for the enthusiasm”, Oswald said bitterly and turned away. “Olga made breakfast. Get your ass up.”

“Yessir”, Ed obliged tiredly, already swinging his long legs to the ground.

While Edward didn’t particularly enjoy housekeeper Olga’s company, he couldn’t deny that the lady made some killer pancakes. Oswald had seemingly already finished his plate before even coming back upstairs to wake Edward up, because he got to dine alone. That was, if one didn’t count the dog sitting on the floor and munching on tiny puppy-sized pancakes. Ed still couldn’t understand how anyone paid that much attention and care to a measly animal like Edward the dog.

As soon as Edward finished his breakfast, Oswald rushed him out of the dining room to get dressed. No Man’s Land had really drained his wardrobe, so as soon as the first stores had reopened around the city, they had gone on a shopping spree. Still, since he didn’t want to pay too much attention to the way he looked, he just chose his trademark green suit for the day. He figured it would also make him pop a little in the crowds upon crowds of excited parents and relatives who had come to see their own kids. As Ed returned downstairs, he wondered by Oswald even needed his company when retrieving Martin. Oswald was certainly more of a father figure for the kid than he ever had been.

Oswald had been so eager on getting them out of the Van Dahl mansion, yet when it actually came the time to leave, he held them back for about five minutes because he kept giving goodbye kisses to his dog. Edward wanted to puke when he watched them, and took a head start into the limousine. The driver waiting for them was a familiar one – Oswald didn’t have a whole lot of staff nowadays since a lot of them had either moved out of Gotham when the bridges fell or died during the war. He threw himself inside the vehicle and busied himself by fiddling with his Rubik’s cube keychain. Finally, Oswald arrived into the car and startled Ed a bit by slamming the door close exceptionally hard. Oswald looked positively devastated.

“What happened?” Ed asked, putting his keys away.

“As soon as I put him down, Edward just walked away from me! Ungrateful”, the raven-haired man explained and gave his driver a sign to get going. Ed wanted to laugh but ended up just pursing his lips together and giving a sympathetic nod.

“You know the dog stays with you just because you feed it, right?” he couldn’t keep his mouth shut after observing Oswald’s sour face for a second. Oswald glared at him.

“Yeah. Reminds me of someone else I know”, he said prickly and looked at Edward adequately. It was Edward’s time to roll his eyes.

“Please”, he said, but smiled, “I stay with you for many reasons, Oswald.”

“Such as?”

“Well...”, his voice trailed off and he scooted closer to the smaller man with a grin. “Take a guess.”

“Hmm. You’re a desperate slut, that’s why”, Oswald suggested and grabbed Edward’s jaw gently, making them face one another. Edward’s smile widened.

“Not the exact words I would have used, but sure”, he said, ending the conversation with a small kiss on the tip of Oswald’s nose. That made the other recoil in embarrassment. It was almost hilarious how fast Oswald switched from dominant to submissive with the right actions.

The docklands were an absolute and utter mess by the point their limousine parked at the side of the street. The children were due to arrive in a couple ships from the mainland at noon, and although it was only half past eleven, the transportation was in process. The mere sight of screaming kids, crying parents and the masses of people gave Edward a headache, and it got about ten times worse when he stepped out of the car, Oswald in tow.

There were a lot of police officers around, trying their hardest to keep some kind of order in the mob, but it was nearly useless. It didn’t help that Oswald made his way through the waves of people by dragging Edward with one arm while smacking people across the backs and arms with his walking stick with the other. To be fair, it was an effective technique. There was a restricted area where all the children were situated while parents, one by one, were allowed to pick up their younglings after providing proof of having parentship of the children. Oswald seemed to know he would have to get more creative, because he hadn’t filled any adoption papers as far as Edward was aware. Therefore, the raven-haired man pulled himself and Edward straight in front of Commissioner James Gordon who was following the chaos right at the edge of the restricted area.

“Hello, Jim”, Oswald greeted the man and finally let go of Edward whose arm was already aching. Jim looked incredibly disinterested to be conversing with Oswald, but he also acted quite unsurprised. If Edward remembered right, the two of them had actually discussed Martin at some point beforehand. Jim was standing in-between two women, Barbara and Lee. Lee was holding her husband’s hand while Barbara was cooing at their baby. The baby girl was getting fussy with all the loud noises nearby. Why was Barbara even here?

“Honey, look! Uncle Penguin and Uncle Riddler came to see you!” the blonde woman said, kissing the baby on the forehead and stepping closer to Edward while Oswald started jabbering about Martin to Lee and Jim. While ‘ _Uncle Riddler’_ was in some way quite the endearing term, Edward couldn’t help but feel slight terror when Barbara pushed the girl on his arms.

“How do you hold this thing?” Ed mumbled, trying his best to not drop Barbara Lee on the pavement. He figured neither Jim nor Barbara would be too happy with that. The baby stared at him with her huge, blue eyes full of wonder. She stopped fussing the moment Ed took her in his arms, and it seemed to make Barbara excited.

“Aww, look, she likes you”, she said, softly brushing the baby’s cheek with her thumb. Edward grimaced.

“She better. I was ready to die for her, you know?”

“It’s what she deserves”, Barbara grinned and bumped Edward on the shoulder. He did not understand why Barbara Lee found his face so incredibly interesting – was it the glasses? The bowler hat, maybe? Or did she just sense that “Uncle Riddler” was devilishly handsome? “She looks so surprised”, the blonde giggled, gently pinching her daughter’s plump cheek.

“Why does she like me this much?” Edward inquired. He might be smart, but babies were one of the few things that felt over his comprehension skills.

“Maybe she senses that you’re planning to toss her into the river and she’s trying to signal me to save her”, Barbara suggested, grabbing the baby’s tiny hand and shaking it around. “ _Mommy, he’s gonna kill me!_ ”

“I’m not a baby killer”, Edward said, piqued. “A killer, maybe, but why would I bother throwing this piece of ham into the river?”

“Did you just call my daughter a ‘ _piece of ham_ ’?” Ed turned around to see Jim and Lee, who had returned to their company. Lee was clearly holding back a chuckle while James looked legitimately offended. Barbara Lee threw her little arms around, oblivious to the scene and trying to grab Edward’s glasses. Ed was fast to pass the baby to her father’s waiting arms. Jim took her away from him and glared at Barbara for a second, clearly eager to say something, but Lee touched his arm gently and immediately made him back off.

Oswald joined the group at that moment, wiping away tears from his reddened cheeks and holding Martin’s small hand in his. It was a smart move from the baby trio to give them some space, because Oswald looked like he was going to kick anyone who mentioned his tears. To Edward’s huge surprise, Martin let go of Oswald and hugged his midsection tightly. He pat the boy’s head awkwardly, quite unsure of how to react. He did not think they were hugging-level close, but if Martin wanted to, who the hell was he to say no? Oswald looked like his heart was all mushy as he watched the one-sided hug.

“I cannot believe this is real”, he said, laughing quietly in relief. He stepped in close and pulled Martin back towards himself, squeezing the boy’s shoulder. Edward hadn’t seen the other this happy in ages. Honestly, the last time Oswald had looked at him like that was back when Edward had almost lost his life at the Iceberg Lounge and they’d sit in the mansion, drinking tea and hugging. He couldn’t help but smile back at the older man.

“It’s real”, Edward assured, slightly flustered too. A couple of months ago they had been ready to leave the city and live the rest of their lives in the mainland, robbing banks and living in crime. And now they were like a little family, standing there all smiles, like nothing had ever happened. It did feel like a dream at times. After all the betrayal and hatred Edward had thrown at Oswald, he was still willing to forget all about it and live in the moment.

Oswald used his free hand to grab Ed’s own. “This calls for celebration”, he declared, looking down at Martin who nodded excitedly. The boy looked truly thrilled to be reunited with his odd father figures.

“Well, maybe we can finally go for that romantic candlelit dinner I turned down years ago?” Edward suggested with a sheepish grin. Oswald’s cheeks got noticeably redder, and the grip of his hand tightened, but he still smiled triumphantly.

“That sounds like a deal”, he said.

“Let’s get some ice cream on the way home, yeah?” Ed said, speaking more towards Martin than Oswald. The boy nodded eagerly. “Pistachio’s your fave, right? I still remember.”

“This is outrageous”, Oswald said with a fake pout. “Why do you know my son’s ice cream preferences better than I do?”

“Your son, huh?” Edward asked as they started to walk back towards the car.

“I will start the adopting process as soon as possible”, Oswald said firmly and smiled down at Martin who took his hand again, practically vibrating in excitement.

“Wow. _Daddy Penguin_ , then.”

Oswald slapped Edward on the arm, giving him a death glare. Ed burst out laughing, and it only got worse when he saw the oblivious yet confused expression on Martin’s face. The boy let go of Oswald and startled scribbling something into his trusty notepad. After a small moment he raised it up so the two men could read.

 _You’re both my dads_.

Edward was quick to shut his mouth so his laughter wouldn’t switch straight into crying.


	2. and oh, stupid things i do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for taking so long to update! i now have made space on my schedule to update a couple times a week, but i still won't promise anything ;D enjoy!

Oswald sighed before raising his hand to knock on the door in front of him. He looked down at Martin and smiled at him, but the boy was too invested in doodling something on his notepad to notice the gesture. It took only a few seconds for the door to swing open, and Oswald met Lee’s brown eyes as the woman emerged. While her initial reaction upon seeing him was clearly distasteful, her face got gentler as soon as she saw Martin.

“Hello,” she greeted them, crouching down a bit to Martin’s eye level. “What are you drawing there?”

Martin finally raised his head and quickly hid the doodle behind his back, smiling sheepishly. Oswald ruffled his hair. “Good boy. No one has to know your secrets,” he said and grinned a little. Lee straightened her form and rolled her eyes benevolently. At the same moment, Jim arrived in the hallway, holding Barbara Lee with one arm and a bottle of milk in the other. He looked tired but happy, wearing only a pair of sweatpants and a tank top.

“Hey,” he nodded at Martin who waved a bit. Oswald, who had indulged himself in staring at Jim’s exposed biceps, cleared his throat and jerked his eyes away from the feral sight.

“Thank you for babysitting him,” he said as Martin stepped past Lee into the house.

“Yeah, no problem,” Jim said, stepping closer to the door and leaning on the doorframe. “He’s a good kid. Surprisingly enough.”

“Ha ha ha,” Oswald said very dryly and watched with sharp eyes as Martin disappeared into the kitchen.

“Martin is really sweet. And she likes him,” Lee tuned in, nodding towards the baby. Oswald didn’t believe babies that young had the mental capacity to like or dislike anyone, but he still felt prideful at the comment. If there was one thing he wanted to be, it was a good dad to Martin.

“Here’s his stuff. Pyjamas, toothbrush, all that,” Oswald said and handed a backpack to Lee. “He’s really into eating toothpaste right now, because Ed said it would make him smarter, so you better watch him brush, okay?”

“You got it,” Jim grinned. “Can’t wait for this little goofball to be old enough to eat toothpaste.” He lifted Barbara Lee a bit and looked at her face. She stared back, before promptly whacking her dad on the nose with her tiny fist.

“I can’t tell if she inherited that from you or Babs,” Oswald smirked maliciously as Jim looked at the baby with a melodramatically hurt expression. He glared at Oswald for a second before going back to bouncing Barbara Lee in the air.

“I guess I should go. Ed said he’d have everything ready by eight,” Oswald changed the subject, frowning to himself. Apparently it wasn’t hidden well enough for Lee’s eyes.

“You don’t look excited,” she said, tilting her head.

“I’m just nervous, that’s all,” Oswald assured, fidgeting with his cufflink. He really didn’t want to give more information about his current situation, so he began to back away.

“Nygma’s whipped, you’re good,” Jim said with a gentle smirk. Oswald’s face got redder, and he turned around with a quick wave. He heard Jim shout something else – he could’ve sworn it was “go forth, loverboy” – but Lee slammed the door shut before the situation could escalate further. Oswald chuckled to himself as he walked through the yard and into his limousine. Jim had changed a bit in the past couple of months; he was more... likeable? Calm? Maybe it was because of the baby, maybe because of the promotion.

The ride back to the mansion was filled with nervous fidgeting from Oswald. His driver knew best to not interrupt his boss’s thought process, and the only thing preventing the complete silence was the car radio quietly playing in the background. Oswald couldn’t focus on the music. He kept brushing his hand against his breast pocket, feeling the contents with the tip of his fingers delicately.

When he stepped into his home, he was immediately greeted by Edward the dog sauntering down the stairs. He knew the dog was probably just looking for treats when it started rubbing itself against Oswald’s legs like a cat, but the man still picked the puppy up and kissed it on the forehead. Ever since then had rescued the dog from the docks, he had treated it like royalty. He had been absolutely devastated when he’d thought of Nyssa stealing his dog above all the gold and riches, but thankfully the bitch hadn’t been too fond of pets, it seemed.

Oswald dropped the dog off in his bedroom before walking into the dining room. Edward had never been very fond of the animal, so he decided it was only fair for him to not take it with him on the dinner. He found Edward finishing the dining table, pristinely making sure all the utensils were at the perfect angle. The brunette’s concentrated face lit up as soon as he saw Oswald.

“Right on time,” he purred as Oswald approached. They shared a quick smooch on the lips before Ed already started dragging him towards one of the chairs. Oswald couldn’t find the power to resist and let himself to be seated at the head of the table like a child. Edward had absolutely insisted on taking care of the dinner for the night, and Oswald hadn’t complained; if there was one person who was better at cooking than his actual chef or Olga, it was Ed.

“In the menu tonight we have...,” Edward started and lifted the cover off Oswald’s plate to reveal his creation with a flourish, “your all-time favorite goulash, à la carte! Or, à la your mom and remixed by me.”

“God, that looks so good,” Oswald muttered, observing his plate. “You managed to find the recipe?”

“Yep. Took some digging, but now I’ve got it all memorized,” Ed said with a grin and tapped his temple. He took a seat as close to Oswald as possible. Oswald remembered the evening he was sitting at the same exact seat, anxiously waiting for Edward to arrive only for him to ghost him. He wanted to shake the heart-breaking memory away; Edward was here now, and that was all that mattered to him.

They started eating in comfortable silence, sometimes interrupted by some chatter when Ed told Oswald about his day or when Oswald continuously complimented the amazing food. Their relationship was at the point where words weren’t even really necessary. The soft glances and smiles were all they needed – alongside the cheeky nudges of their feet rubbing against one another underneath the table, always causing Oswald’s cheeks to flush pink.

Ed had just returned from the kitchen with two massive ice cream dishes, beautifully decorated with sprinkles, chocolate sauce and matching cocktail umbrellas sticking from the top, and Oswald felt like he could melt into a puddle on the floor. He was already full of the goulash and the bread and the amazing wine, and now Edward was blessing him with dessert? It wasn’t like he was ever going to say no to some chocolate ice cream, though, and so he dug in with Edward in tow.

“This makes me regret ever turning that dinner down back then,” Edward said, licking his spoon with a fond yet somehow melancholic smile. Oswald put his spoon down for a moment and tapped his mouth with a serviette.

“It feels surreal to be here,” he said, licking his lips nervously. Edward paused and looked at him, eyes big and sensual. “If I’m honest, at one point I didn’t even think we could sit at the same table like this ever again.”

“Yet look at us now,” Ed said quietly, leaning on his elbow and palm. Oswald hummed a dry laugh and lowered his gaze. Something in Edward’s intense stare made him even more anxious than he already was. “It’s not like you to linger in the past, Ozzie. What are you trying to say here?” Edward asked. Of course he had caught on to Oswald’s jittery behaviour.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Oswald assured with a smile and took a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth to avoid further questions.

“I suppose we never really talked about it, huh? We just... moved on, if you could call it that,” Edward pondered out loud and tilted his head thoughtfully.

“Is there something you want to talk about, then?”

“No,” Ed said with a smile. “It’s in the past. Just an unfortunate part of our history.”

“The future will be better,” Oswald muttered. More than anything, he was trying to convince himself that the worst was behind them. All the betrayal and heartache and arguments – they were gone, right?

“Welp, good talk,” Ed said and scooped the last of his ice cream out of the cup and in his mouth. Oswald looked startled when Ed looked like he was about to leave, and the only logical thing he thought of doing to prevent it was grab Edward’s arm needily. Ed looked at his hand with slight surprise. “What’s wrong?”

“I- I, uh. Don’t go just yet,” Oswald murmured, refusing to look at Ed in the eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere, Oswald.” Ed took a proper grip of Oswald’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “There is actually something quite important I’ve been meaning to ask of you.”

“Really?” Oswald’s eyebrows raised. “I also had something of urgent nature to request.”

“You can go first,” Edward said and smiled.

“It’s... a pretty big thing to ask, Ed.” Oswald’s mouth suddenly felt like it was filled with sandpaper. “I completely understand if you say you can’t, um, accept what I’m asking of you.”

“Oswald.” Ed’s voice was full of emotion, barely audible. “I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. I would do _anything_ for you.”

Oswald’s heart skipped a beat or maybe ten. The memory of that night flashed before his eyes again. The happiest night of his life. If only he had confessed his feelings back then. If only he had ended the night with a kiss instead of a hug. Ed looked just as genuine as he had back then. They had been through a lot, but in the end it was still the same old Ed sitting in front of him, holding his hand, looking at him with those puppy eyes.

Gently, Oswald let go of Edward’s hand so he could reach for his breast pocket. In there, was a small box neatly gift wrapped in silver and green. He placed it on the table with an inaudible sigh and followed Ed’s every movement. “Open it,” Oswald told him, the slightest tremble in his quiet voice.

“This is it? Your _grandee request_?” Ed asked with a chuckle. He picked up the tiny gift and started pulling the packaging apart. “You made it sound like you had cancer or something. Gave me a... scare.” Ed’s voice trailed off when he ripped the gift paper apart and saw what was inside his present. It was a small jewellery box made out of expensive velvet with a small silver question mark on top of it. Ed stared at it, unblinkingly. Oswald didn’t realize it, but he was holding his breath.

“Is... is this what I think it is?” Ed muttered, running a finger along the question mark.

“What do you think it is?” Oswald managed to say. Ed didn’t respond, and instead proceeded to snap the box open. Oswald bit his lip hard enough to almost draw blood when he waited for Ed’s reaction. He saw the reflection of two beautifully placed rings shine in Ed’s dark eyes.

Oswald had expected Edward to react strongly, perhaps get angry and ask if it was a joke, or start crying, but he had not expected the man to burst of laughing. Ed laughed so hard he was tearing up and the grip of the box loosened, causing it to fall on the table. Oswald’s heart sank. Ed was trying to say something but couldn’t get anything coherent out in the midst of his cackling. Oswald lowered his head, already feeling his eyes sting as he fought the tears behind his eyes.

Finally, Ed started to calm down, and Oswald looked at him with a heartbroken expression. It made Edward’s wide grin vanish immediately, and the brunette actually looked kind of spooked. “You know,” Oswald said, voice breaking, “a ‘no’ would have sufficed.” With that, he stood up so aggressively he made his chair clatter on the ground.

“Wait, what?” Ed asked as Oswald started walking away from the table, wiping away the tears that had managed to escape. Oswald cursed in his head; he had been so _stupid_! Why would Edward want to _marry_ him? Marry Oswald of all people in the world?! Ed hurried after him and tried to grab Oswald’s arm, but he snatched it away of his reach.

“Oswald, what’s wrong? I-“

“You _laughed_ at me!” Oswald squealed and turned to look at Ed. He wasn’t sure if he was crying out of embarrassment, anger or frustration. “You- you think it was hilarious! A joke!”

“No, Ozzie-“

“Well it wasn’t! I wanted to marry you, you dumb fuck!”

“Oswald.” Ed got the upper hand of the situation by forcing his hands on Oswald and holding the shorter man in place. “Oswald, darling, you’ve got it all backwards. I wasn’t laughing at _you!_ ” Ed chuckled nervously. “I was laughing at myself.”

“Huh?” Oswald uttered, furrowing his eyebrows. “The hell does that mean?”

Edward didn’t respond, and instead reached to take something out of the pocket of his slacks. Oswald’s stomach flipped when he saw what Ed was holding. It was a jewellery box, not unlike the one Oswald had handed to Ed, although this one was purple and made of leather. “I, uhh...,” Ed muttered, opening the box. “I guess we have two rings to return, dear.”

Oswald had a meltdown right then and there. He burst into sobs and jumped on Edward, hanging from his neck like a man drowning would cling onto a life-buoy. The rings fell onto the floor when Ed grabbed Oswald with both arms, hugging the man back. Oswald buried his face in Edward’s nape and cried, cried more than he had cried in a very long time. For the first time, possibly ever, though, the tears were those of joy. When they finally pulled apart, Ed also had tears in his eyes. He had never been the crying type, so that was already a rarity to see. Oswald put his hand on Ed’s cheek and ran a thumb across his cheekbone.

“I guess that’s a ‘yes’, then?” he asked with a small laugh. Ed brushed tears away from his face with his own hands and leaned in for a gentle kiss.

“Like I said,” he murmured against Oswald’s lips, a small grin making its way onto his face, “anything for you, Oswald.”


End file.
